This weekend’s match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield will be officiated by Craig Pawson.
Premier League play will begin early on Saturday with the first Merseyside derby of the 2023–24 season, with top-tier domestic competition picking back up after the break.
Now that the officials for gameweek nine have been revealed by the Premier League, Pawson has been designated as the official in charge of the match at Anfield.
In addition, David Coote will serve as VAR, while Stuart Burt will serve as his assistant. The line-running assistants will be Marc Perry and Wade Smith, with Thomas Bramall serving as the fourth official.
Having presided over the 2017 1-1 draw at Anfield, Pawson will be in charge of the Merseyside derby for the second time on Saturday.
Wayne Rooney converted an Everton penalty in the second half after Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring before halftime.
36 Liverpool games have been officiated by 44-year-old Pawson, with the Reds winning 25, losing 6, and drawing 5. He hasn’t issued a red card in a Liverpool game yet.
Alexis Mac Allister was dismissed by fourth official Bramall during a 3-1 victory against Bournemouth in August, but the punishment was later reversed on appeal.
Coote also served as the referee for Liverpool’s contentious 2-2 tie with Everton in 2020, which saw Virgil van Dijk sustain a season-ending injury as a result of an unpunished Jordan Pickford challenge. The Reds also had a late winner disallowed for offside.
After that game, reports surfaced that Coote believed that because Van Dijk was offside, he was unable to recommend that Pickford be dismissed. The PGMOL, the organisation that oversees referees, refuted claims that Coote ‘forgot’ the regulations. next the incident, Coote was relieved of his refereeing and VAR responsibilities the next gameweek.
Darren England, the fourth official for the Brentford vs. Burnley match at the Gtech Community Stadium who was at the centre of the VAR controversy following Liverpool’s loss to Tottenham, will resume his duties this weekend.